Cigarette package



@LY 3, 1960 c. c. cosBY, JR., ETAL 2,9322@ CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Jan. 13, 1958 INVENTORS. CLARE/VCE ,C COSBY JR, BY LEE S. HAR/70W JEA/V'H. PHALE/V a1 Mw ATTORNEY United States Patent CIGARETTE PACKAGE Clarence C. Cosby, Jr., Lee S. Harrow, and Jean H.

Phalen, Richmond, Va., assignors to Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia Application January 13, 1958, Serial No. 708,478

-3 Claims. (Cl. 221-247) The present invention relates to cigarette packages and more particularly to a cigarette package having means capable of being manipulated to facilitate the opening of the package and withdrawing of cigarettes therefrom.

In the ordinary cigarette package, sometimes referred to as a soft pack, the outer cellophane wrapper is lirst removed and the top of the package torn away, to partially expose the upper ends of some of the cigarettes. To remove the first cigarette, the bottom of the pack opposite the exposed top is often pressed upward to project some of the cigarettes upwardly to enable ready grasping for removal, or one of the cigarettes is pulled up by the fingernails. Either of the above procedures generally results in damage to the cigarette.

In recent years, many of the cigarette companies are packaging cigarettes in a hard pack of the rectangular type having an upper hinged closure. In this type of package, removal of the lirst cigarette can only be accomplished by the second method described above. Since the cigarettes are tightly packed, it is readily apparent that the cigarette is easily damaged.

To facilitate the removal of the rst cigarette or two from either type of package, numerous means have been provided, generally in the form of an ejector having a portion underlying one or two of the cigarettes, with another portion readily accessible for grasping whereby lifting of the ejector will raise one or two cigarettes.

In the usual soft pack, the cigarettes are completely encased in a foil wrapper, a portion of which is torn away when the package is first opened. In the hard pack, it has been customary to use a partial wrap for encasing the major portion of the cigarettes, and a separate foil wrap for the remaining portion of the cigarettes, said separate foil wrap' being entirely removable upon raising of the hinged lid.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved and novel hard pack wherein a single means is provided to lift the hinged cover of the pack, remove the separate foil liner, and raise the rst cigarette or cigarettes with one operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide the aforesaid single means to a conventional cigarette package of the hard pack type without modifying the structure of the conventional cardboard box.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cigarette package embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the novel feature of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a similar view with the hinged lid partially open.

Figure 5 is a similar view with the hinged lid fully open.

2,935,228 Patented May 3, 1960 ICC Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, numeral 10 designates a conventional type of cardboard box and having a hinged lid 11. Numeral 12 designates the cigarettes and numeral 13 designates a metal foil wrapper partially enclosing the cigarettes. The removable foil wrapper is indicated by numeral 14. The aforesaid description describes a well known type of hard pack.

Referring to Figure 2, a cellophane strip 15 of dis tinctive color is provided with a lower pull tab 16, and an upper portion 17 which is bent over at 18 and adhesive ly secured to the removable foil wrapper 14 as indicated. A cardboard ejector element 19 is also adhesively secured to the front Wall of the removable foil wrapper and is provided with a lower ap 20.

'I'he cardboard ejector 19 may be of any suitable width to accommodate one or two cigarettes and lies between the permanent foil wrapper 13 and the cigarettes 12, with the bottom ap 20 underlying two of the cigarettes. The strip 15 extends between the lid 11 and the box 10 with the tab 16 extending below the edge of the lid in position to be grasped by the fingers.

Upon removal of the conventional outer cellophane wrapper which is not shown, the user grasps the tab 16 and with a steady upward pull removes the complete unit shown in Figure 2. The upward pull on the tab functions to open the hinged lid 11, remove the foil wrapper 14 and raise two cigarettes to the position shown in Figure 5. The lower ilap 20 being hinged to member 19 will straighten out upon lifting and permit the ejector number to be removed without completely removing the two raised cigarettes. Y

It is believed that the many advantages of a cigarette package constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. 'Ihe combination with a cigarette package of the hard type including a box having one end open and a hinged lid for covering said end and a removable wrapper section for covering the upper ends and sides of at least some of the cigarettes within the box, of a flexible strip secured to the wrapper section and having a part depending therefrom and adapted to lie between the forward walls of the box and lid when the lid is closed, said part then extending below said lid and adjacent to the outer face of the forward wall of said box, and an ejector strip secured to said wrapper section and depending therefrom and disposed between the forward wall of said box and the forward row of cigarettes therein and including a bottom transverse extension underlying the lower end of at least one cigarette within the box, whereby upward pulling of said part of the exible strip will rst open said lid and then remove said wrapper section from the cigarettes and then elevate at least one cigarette within the box to a position for convenient removal, and said flexible strip, wrapper section and ejector strip being freely removable from the package as a connected unit by continued pulling on said flexible strip.

2. A cigarette package comprising a rectangular box having an open end, a hinged lid for the open end of the box, cigarettes within said box, a removable wrapper section covering the upper ends and sides of at least some of the cigarettes within the box, a flexible strip secured to the wrapper section and having a part disposed adjacent the forward side of the wrapper section and depending Vface of the forward wall of said bQx, and anejectorvstrip -secured to said wrapper section ndspendingjthrfrom and disposed'between the forward wall of the bok and the frwardnlost row of cigarettes and including a bottoi-n transverse extension underlying the "lower end of a at least one cigarette within the box, whereby upward pulling of said part of the flexible strip will cause opening of the h'd, removal of said Ywrapper section and 'elevation of'at least one cigarette to a position for convenient grasplng. Y v

3. A cigarette package according 'to-claim 2, and wherein said flexible strip is secured to Vthe' top wall of saidremovable wrapper section and said depending par't ofthe strip'extends downwardly adjacent tothe outer face of the forward wall of said wrapper` sectionV and said ejector 4 v' n strip is secured to the inner face of the forward wall of said wrapper section.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,343,360 Frost June 15, 1920 1,900,389 Reed Mar. 7, 1933 2,195,369 Innes f Mar. 26, 194() 2,803,394 Ringler Oct. 2,4, x1,955 2,834,514 'Redondo ..Y...Y..;. May 13, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 52,154 Denmark Sept'. 14, 11936 195,806 Switzerland 1...- Aug. 16, 1938 432,285 France ,Dec. 2, 1911 676,480 Germany June 5, 1939 897,677

Germany Nov. 23, 1953 

